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Deep Dive: So You’re Into Fake Memoirs
The fake memoir is nothing new. When I was a kid, perhaps the most famous fake memoir was Go Ask Alice by Beatrice Sparks (though it was originally credited to “Anonymous.” I remember being fascinated by the story of a teenager who died, leaving behind a diary.
Then, of course, there was James Frey’s bestseller, A Million Little Pieces. That one even got Oprah.
Do you want to learn more about fake memoirs and journals? Let’s explore this rabbit hole.
Wikipedia has an entire list of fake memoirs and journals to explore. There are so many here that I’ve never heard of.
I’ve learned that there are other “journals” by Beatrice Sparks, and they are all meant to scare parents and teenagers about drugs and sex.
One is called Jay’s Journal. In this book, a teenager is drawn into satanism and witchcraft after experimenting with drugs and questioning the government. The more I read about these books, the more I’m thinking about trying to find some copies to recap.
